CMS Systems: Wordpress Uses, Functionality, Applications
Ross [email protected] Systems:
WordpressUses, Functionality, Applications1Table Of ContentsWhats a
CMS?Website or CMS?Common CMS Systems.What is Wordpress?Uses Of
Wordpress?Ways To Use Wordpress: Hosted And FreeHow To Set Up A
Free WordpressDifferenciation between Self Hosted VS
FreeSelf-Hosting: What do you get?Self-Hosting:
CompaniesSelf-Hosting: Prices To Expect2What Is A
CMS?3IntroductionCMS = Content Management System
is a collection of procedures used to manage work flow in a
collaborative environment. These procedures can be manual or
computer-based. The procedures are designed to do the
following:
4CMS By DefinitionAllow for a large number of people to
contribute to and share stored dataControl access to data, based on
user roles (defining which information users or user groups can
view, edit, publish, etc.)Aid in easy storage and retrieval of
dataReduce repetitive duplicate inputImprove the ease of report
writingImprove communication between usersIn a CMS, data can be
defined as nearly anything: documents, movies, pictures, phone
numbers, scientific data, and so forth. CMSs are frequently used
for storing, controlling,revising, semantically enriching, and
publishing documentation. Serving as a central repository, the CMS
increases the version level of new updates to an already existing
file. Version control is one of the primary advantages of a
CMS.
5Hard Coded VS CMS6An IntroductionA Content Management System
(CMS) is a PHP (Personal Home Page) application which lets you
create and manage your website using an admin panel.
In a traditional HTML site, you would have to use programs such
as FrontPage or Dreamweaver to edit the website. The following
separates the pros and cons of a Content Management System7Pros Of
A CMSOrganization: A CMS is much more organized than an html site.
You can login to your admin panel and control all aspects of your
website from literally any computer.
Design: The ability to control design using CSS (Cascade Style
Sheets) files is a great functionality. You also have the ability
of creating different templates for different types of pages on
your website.
Functionalities: You have the option of making add-ons to your
website and choosing from a wide array of functionalities. In the
competitive online market, this can never hurt. If you want to have
a blog, a corporate website and a shopping cart, certain CMS
solutions offer you all this with easy to install add-ons.
8Cons Of A CMS (VS HTML)Technical: You might have to be a bit
technical to be able to implement a CMS. You might also need to do
some research or get some outside help. Certain aspects of hosting
preferences matter in choosing a CMS. Therefore, you have to be
somewhat knowledgeable.
HTML and CSS Knowledge: If you really want a good looking
website, you will need some HTML knowledge. Also, knowing CSS and
setting it up correctly will make it a lot easier to make website
changes in the future. While you do not need to be an expert, you
should be knowledgeable in overall HTML and CSS. A good place to
start would be to install FrontPage or Dreamweaver.9OverallWhile
designing a site from scratch using HTML gives a designer the
ability to achieve pixel-perfect precision in realising his/her
ideas, it does come at a signifigant cost, in terms of time
required, and a certain level of expertise in web design.In terms
of CMS systems, the added functionality which comes out of the box
is, in my opinion, adds much more value to the project.10Types And
Categories of CMS Systems11Most Popular PlatformsWordpress, Joomla,
Drupal
all free, all open source, all have the same basic
fundamentals.
12Learning Management SystemsAn offshoot of the standard CMS is
the term LMS Or a learning management system.It fundamentally works
exactly the same as a standard CMS, but is geared towards a
learning environment, and has functions which facilitate a learning
environment.13LMS SystemsBlackboard (Commercial).
(http://www.blackboard.com)
Moodle (Free, open-source). (http://www.moodle.org)
14BlackboardUsed by NUI Universities in Ireland.Commercial
Software.The Blackboard Learning System is a virtual learning
environment and course management system developed by Blackboard
Inc. Features include course management, a customizable open
architecture, and a scalable design that allows for integration
with student information systems and authentication protocols. It
may be installed on local servers or hosted by Blackboard ASP
Solutions. Its main purposes are to add online elements to courses
traditionally delivered face-to-face and to develop completely
online courses with few or no face-to-face meetings.
15Blackboard FeaturesCommunicationAnnouncements: Professors and
teachers may post announcements for students to read. These can be
found under the announcement tab, or can be made to pop-up when a
student accesses Blackboard.Chat: This function allows those
students who are online to chat in real time with other students in
their class section.Discussions: This feature allows students and
professors to create a discussion thread and reply to ones already
created.Mail: Blackboard mail allows students and teachers to send
mail to one another. This feature supports mass emailing to
students in a course.ContentCourse content: This feature allows
teachers to post article, assignments, videos etc.Calendar:
Teachers can use this function to post due dates for assignments
and tests.Learning modules: This feature is often used for strictly
online classes. It allows professors to post different lessons for
students to access.Assessments: This tab allows professors to post
quizzes and exams and allows students to access them anywhere there
is an internet connection.Assignments: This features allows for
assignments to be posted and for students to be able to submit
assignments onlineGrade Book: Teachers and professors may post
grades on Blackboard for students to view.Media Library: Videos and
other media may be posted under this function.OtherGoals: This
function allows for teachers to post the learns goals and
objectives of the class.Roster: Students and teachers can access a
list of other students who are enrolled in the course.Syllabus:
Under this function, the syllabus for the class may be
obtained.Who's online: While utilizing this function, students and
teachers may view who is currently online for a particular class or
course.Helpful Hints: Many universities and colleges provide links
to their respective information technology webpages where
Blackboard tutorials are available. The material for Blackboard
range from how to use the discussion board, student chat, downloads
and plug-ins, to taking a quiz.
16MoodleMoodle (abbreviation for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic
Learning Environment) is a free source e-learning software
platform, also known as a Course Management System, Learning
Management System, or Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). As of
October 2010 it had a user base of 49,952 registered and verified
sites, serving 37 million users in 3.7 million courses.
17Moodle FunctionalityMoodle has several features considered
typical of an e-learning platform, plus some original innovations
(like its filtering system). Moodle is very similar to a learning
management system. Moodle can be used in many types of environments
such as in education, training and development, and business
settings.Some typical features of Moodle are:
Assignment submissionDiscussion forumFiles downloadGradingMoodle
instant messagesOnline calendarOnline news and announcement
(College and course level)Online quizWiki
18DemosBlackboard (NUI)Moodle Demo Site:
demo.moodle.org19Wordpress FunctionalityHighly customizable CMS
SystemMany ApplicationsNot simply just Blogging SoftwareThe
self-hosted (more about this later) allows the user to install
plugins which offer more functionality to the site, working,
out-of-the-box.Plugins include:Calculators, Newsletter sign-up
boxes, Social Networking interaction modules, Events Calenders,
video galleries, live chat functionality etc..20Two Approaches To
The WP Process21Free Vs Self HostedA user has two options when
choosing the Wordpress CMS.S/he can opt for the free version,
located at www.wordpress.com or alternatively choose to take out
their own hosting (effectively making their own website) privately
through one of the many web hosting providers.
There are advantages and disadvantages of both approaches, as
described in the metric here. We will discuss the terminology later
on in this session.22Free HostingAvailable at
www.wordpress.comLimitation in terms of functionality (plugins) and
appearance (themes).Site would follow address of:
yoursite.wordpress.comLimited in creating users or groups to access
the site (any users need to be existing Wordpress members)Arguably
easier to maintainDifficult approach if you require several
different instances of wordpress, or are trying to manage several
courses.23Self HostingEffectively owning your own web domain:
www.myclasssite.ie Multitude of Irish based hosting
companiesService allows the full flavour installation of Wordpress
in one or two clicks.Full control of the Wordpress systemThe
ability to create a number of Wordpress based systems, one per
class perhaps.EG:
www.CatrionaORegan.ie/class1www.CatrionaORegan.ie/class2www.CatrionaORegan.ie/class3
24Self Hosting BenefitsAllows you full control of systemAllows
you to quickly install plugins Allows you to quickly add themes,
both free and commercial to customize the look of your siteMany
more SEO benefitsAllows for full branding options25Self Hosting
Companies, Costs, Pitfalls26Self HostingMany Irish companies offer
hosting packages:
Register365 www.register365.ieBlacknight Solutions
www.blacknight.ieLetsHost www.letshost.ieGoDaddy www.godaddy.ie
View Companies
27What do you get with a hosting Package?A hosting package is
effectively a term which means renting space on a companies
webserver. You are effectively renting a directory on a computer,
which is connected to the internet 24X7, 365. (Most companies offer
99.9% uptime).The directory / folder which you are renting will
contain the media, pages, and files which constitute your
website.Most companies offer 10GB as their lowest amount of
storage, on their basic packages.Competitive market with hosting in
Ireland, most companies offer same base level of features.28Domain
Name RegistrationAlong with your hosting (web space) companies will
offer you a domain name. This can have a .ie, .com, .net,
suffix,EG: teachingsite.ie, myvirtualclassroom.com etcHaving a URL
will allow users to enter the URL in a browser and be brought
directly to your content.Necessary part of web hosting.29Email
AddressesMost hosting companies will give you in excess of 20+ POP3
email addresses. These email accounts can be configured on
Microsoft Outlook, or alternatively on your mobile phone
(iPhone/Android).
So you can set up accounts, such as:
[email protected];[email protected];[email protected];
30Control PanelHosters will also offer you a control panel,
which allows you to install web applications such as Joomla,
Wordpress, Moodle etc quickly, within a few clicks. You can also
create e-commerce portals, and a plethora of other applications,
ready to run on your website.31Prices To ExpectIntermediate
Level:
Roughly e50 per annum (incl Vat) for:
Your own domain (either .ie, .com etc)10GB Storage Space15GB
Bandwidth Per Month5 Hosted DomainsUnlimited Sub Domains20 Pop3
Accounts
Look At Register365.ie services32Point To NoteTo register a .ie
domain, you need to submit proof of purpose to the IEDR (Irish
Domain Registrar). This is a very simple process, a scan of
passport and utility bill is enough to suffice. .com addresses can
be set up instantly.33My PerspectiveI would definetly recommend
setting up a self-hosted siteBenefits far outweigh the initial cost
full customization, full administration, more space, more
scalability, more scope. There is an element of technical know how
involved in the more intensive / difficult aspects of maintaining a
domain, especially for beginners, but this is something that most
reasonably tech savvy people will pick up instantly.34Next Steps:A
Run Through Of A Free Wordpress Installation to incorporate
Administration, Creating Pages and Posts, Uploading and Sharing
Files, Themes, Plugins.Customizing the look of Wordpress.Installing
WP on one of the ICEGroup Servers for your own testing
purposes.
35Later:Dropbox Premise of, Setting Up Account, Uploading
Files36Questions?37
